June 21, 2023
Day 38 - ending at Dexter, NM
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My cell phone alarm set for 4:00am didn't go off this morning. I think it's because I had the phone off. Anyway I got up at 4:35am, packed up, carried everything downstairs, and left at 6:20am. I didn't go far though, just next door to Monarca Express for breakfast. I was the only one eating there at the time. The staff was very attentive.
My destination today is Lake Van on the east side of Dexter, New Mexico, where there's a campground. But before that I'll be connecting up with the Great Plains Trail (GPT) along US-285 at its intersection with NM-137.
I'd routed to get to US-285 by following a bike path along the Pecos River, with a turn west through a residential area on the north side of town. This turned out to probably be the slowest way I could have left town. There were signboards spaced out along the trail and I stopped to take pictures of most of them. On the northwest end of town there's and old water flume that's leaking. I read on another signboard that it was featured on a TV segment as the river that crossed itself.
I turned north onto US-285 at 8:19am. A wide shoulder here, fortunately, but also truck tire tread debris from time to time. Hills were to the west but the highway stayed out of them.
At 9:34am I connected with the Great Plains Trail. I took a selfie at this spot, though it didn't turn out great. If I remember, I'll take one at the end of the trail in North Dakota. The sign in the photo points to where those who are doing the trail from its start at Guadalupe Mountain in Texas would be coming from.
At 9:55am, I noticed that the rear tire was getting soft, so spent an hour fixing that. Of course it was another truck tire tread wire. Actually found two wires, but only one had made a hole in the tube. While I was working, a couple in a pickup truck stopped by offering to take me to town if I needed anything.
I wasn't progressing as fast today, but still everything was going OK, and I had a tailwind. I recorded 24.6 miles at noon. My weather forecast app reported 100F at 1:00pm. My water was getting hot, but it was drinkable, and I still had ice water.
Artesia ahead has several places to eat, including a buffet place and an IHOP. I wasn't all that hungry, so ended up at McDonald's at 1:26pm. Dr Pepper with ice was mainly what I was after.
The GPT routing through Artesia is west, north, then east - not the way I would have figured. However, it did get me through town without traffic hassles.
At 3:09pm, I turned onto NM-2 going north. Just before that I noticed a wind-stirred dust cloud. NM-2 with its shoulder was easy riding. Passed by Lake Arthur at 4:02pm. Just after the county line north of there, the highway narrowed to no shoulder, so I had to pay attention to traffic. My tailwind had changed to a side wind, which was OK.
I stopped at the Allsup's store in Hagerman at 5:16pm, and found what I hoped for - a quart of chocolate milk. Then, just north of Hagerman, I had the shoulder back. Just a short ways now to Dexter, where Lake Van is.
Once again, I was puzzled by the GPT routing through town. Looked to me their route was bypassing interesting sites - at least sites interesting to me. I decided then that in towns anyway, I'd make up my own routes. I passed a place to eat and noticed they were open until 8:00pm. But I also wanted to check out the campground before it got too late, so proceeded to there. There were no campers at the campground and the bathrooms were unlocked. The instructions at the pay station were clear. So I decided to ride back into town to get supper.
Arrived at Nothing Fancy Grill at 6:50pm. They made me a BLT sandwich and provided me with two and a half large glasses of root beer. I left just before they closed and was back at Lake Van Campground at 8:05pm. Got the tent set up just before dark.
I had lots of pictures to sort through for today and wasn't really in the mood, but I did work on it for a while. There was some breeze coming through the tent from the west, so I decided to give it up and get to bed.
One of my weather apps said the high today was 103F, another said 105F. With the breeze and plenty of water, I came through today OK. Of course, I had drinks with ice at breakfast, lunch, and supper. That probably is a factor too. I've been thinking about the next few days ahead, where there will be no opportunities along the GPT for drinks with ice. Temperatures are predicted to be just as high. This has me wondering. Maybe I need to figure out a different way to cover the empty miles from here to Fort Sumner. I'll think more about that in the morning.
Jeff
Spent: $16.42 plus $4 (breakfast) + $10.13 (lunch) + $2.59 (chocolate milk) + $11.81 plus $3.19 (supper) + $15 (campsite) = $63.14
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By the way, I see buffalo gourd plants sprawling along the lower part of the picture. When I was a kid in Mojave, CA we used to like to find them and throw the gourds like baseballs since they were about the same size. They shatter if thrown to a good batter!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucurbita_foetidissima
10 months ago
That's interesting. Something I certainly didn't know.
Thanks!
Jeff
10 months ago
Today's ride: 67 miles (108 km)
Total: 1,598 miles (2,572 km)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 6 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 4 |
10 months ago
I sure am enjoying your journey along with you. Great job with the journal. Thanks Jeff.
10 months ago
Thanks. I didn't know that Texas had a heat dome at the moment. Being a little farther north now, I think I may be out of the worst of it.
Jeff
10 months ago
It seems riding on highway shoulders comes with the truck tire tread wire hazard. It's all part of the trip.
I'm glad you're enjoying the journal. Thanks for your comments.
Jeff
10 months ago